Humidity, both on a large scale (such as weather in a particular location) and a small scale (such as the humidity inside of a house) strongly affects the health of humans and has equally profound effects on different types of fabrics, materials, and consumables. Humidity control is a fundamental requirement for storage of many different consumable products such as tobacco, cannabis, certain types of herbal medicine, and food. To provide optimal conditions for the use and life of a product, humidity control devices are used to monitor and control conditions in a storage humidity control. Different types of consumable products require different levels of humidity to have the maximum effect and to stay fresh. In some cases, excess humidity in a storage container damages the particular product or component; in other cases, a lack of humidity will dry out the product or component and render it useless, oftentimes at great expense.
Medicines are sold to consumers in airtight containers and consumers are urged to store medicines in a dry and cool environment. Certain medications and health supplements contain packets of silica to absorb any moisture that may be introduced into the container. Tobacco products, particularly cigars, are often stored in a device called a humidor that keeps humidity at the optimal level for long-term storage and quality. Humidors and other containers for storing tobacco, cannabis, certain herbal medicines, and food are equipped with humidity control devices.